Fall Turkey Season Set, Apply Online

North Dakota’s fall turkey season is set with 3,710 licenses available to hunters, 205 more than last year.

Fall turkey hunters, including gratis applicants, who are interested in applying for a 2018 license must submit an online application through the state Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. Paper applications are not available this year.

Applications are also accepted at the department’s toll-free licensing line, 800-406-6409. A service fee is added for license applications made over the phone.

The deadline for applying is Sept. 5.

Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply in the first lottery. Nonresidents can apply for fall turkey licenses that are still available following the first lottery.

As per state law, a resident who does not want to receive a fall turkey hunting license but would like to accrue a bonus point, can purchase a point on the application for the same fee as the turkey license. The bonus point fee is allocated to the department’s Private Lands Open to Sportsmen Program.

In addition to hunting unit 21 (Hettinger and Adams counties), unit 47 (Sheridan, Wells, Eddy, Foster, Kidder and Stutsman counties) will be closed to fall turkey hunting this year because of low turkey numbers. However, unit 53 (Divide and Williams counties), which has been closed to fall turkey hunting since 2006, will be open in 2018.